Vehicles were traditionally locked and unlocked, and started, with a physical key. As advances in technology were made, remote locking and unlocking became standard on many models. Remote starters, both OEM and aftermarket, are now also prevalent, and are gaining in popularity. In the area of convenience for users of vehicles, remote keyless entry and push to start systems, once reserved for higher end luxury vehicles, are now trickling down to mid-range and entry level models.
As automation and convenience features have gained in popularity, so have thieves' efforts to defeat these systems. In the field of wireless communication, encryption, and techniques such as spread-spectrum or code hopping have been adopted by car manufacturers to increase the security of these systems.
It is often desirable to provide aftermarket remote starting and remote locking and unlocking of the vehicle. In order to maintain the integrity of the OEM system, aftermarket providers are often required to leave an OEM remote FOB inside the vehicle, hidden. This is becoming an irritant for users as they must purchase an extra OEM remote, which are expensive, in part because of the security that is embedded in them.